Record Song Contest 1
Record Song Contest 1 was the first edition of the new founded Record Song Contest. It was held in Toronto, Canada with the Air Canada Center as Venue. 37 nations from all six continents took part, all debuting. South Africa and Brazil were the only countries from their continent. The contest consisted of three shows, two semi-finals each with 16 participants and 10 qualifiers, and the grand final with 25 participants, the 20 semi-final qualifiers and five auto-qualified countries. Location Toronto is the most populous city in Canada, the provincial capital of Ontario, and the center of the Greater Toronto Area, the most populous metropolitan area in Canada. In 2011, Toronto had a population of 2,615,060, making it the fourth most populous city in North America, after Mexico City, New York City, and Los Angeles. Classified as an alpha global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, Toronto is a leading international center of business, finance, arts, and culture, and is widely recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. The Toronto area has been inhabited for thousands of years by various Aboriginal peoples. The urban history of the city dates back to 1787, when British officials negotiated the Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas of the New Credit. They established the Town of York, and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, York was ransacked and heavily damaged by U.S. troops in the Battle of York. The town was renamed and incorporated as the City of Toronto in 1834, and became the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867. Toronto occasionally expanded through amalgamation with surrounding municipalities throughout its history, the results of which can be seen in the 140 independently unique and clearly defined official neighborhoods that make up the city. Venue The Air Canada Centre (ACC) is a multi-purpose indoor sporting arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The arena is popularly known as the ACC or the Hangar (the latter nickname came from its sponsorship by Air Canada). The arena is owned and operated by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE), the same group that owns both the Leafs and Raptors, as well as their respective development teams, and is 665,000 square feet (61,800 square metres) in size. In 2008, the ACC was the fifth busiest arena in the world and the busiest in Canada. Air Canada Centre is connected to Union Station and the underground pedestrian PATH system, providing access to public transportation (TTC's Union subway station and GO Transit). There are also 13,000 parking spaces. The arena has a capacity of 19,800 for concerts, including the contest. Results Semi-final 1 Canada, Spain and Mexico voted in this Semi-final Semi-final 2 Canada, Portugal and Romania voted in this Semi-final Grand Final